Ben Roethlisberger on Todd Haley: 'There's Always Issues in a Competitive Field'

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger downplayed potential issues with offensive coordinator Todd Haley on Tuesday, two days after Pittsburgh's playoff loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

According to NFL Network's Aditi Kinkhabwala, Roethlisberger said he met with Haley on Monday and described the situation in a tweet: "There's always issues in a competitive field ... you might butt heads at times, it doesn't mean you have any personal problems."

On Sunday, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport said Haley and the Steelers are "at a crossroads" and reported that his relationship with Roethlisberger is "strained."

While the Steelers put up 42 points in their AFC Divisional Round loss to Jacksonville, they still fell 45-42.

With regard to his squabbles with Haley, Roethlisberger told Kinkhabwala, "I think it's perceived as a bigger deal than it was."

Haley's contract is up, but Roethlisberger didn't make an effort to push him out of town Tuesday.

Per a tweet from Kinkhabwala, Big Ben pushed the importance of continuity heading toward the 2018 campaign: "The least amount of change the better. We don't want to have big changes because we're right there, we're on the cusp ... We feel we have some great things going for us."

The Steelers have ranked in the top 10 in both total yards and scoring in each of the past four seasons under Haley.

In 2017, they were third in total offense and eighth in points scored.

Provided Roethlisberger returns and the Steelers sign running back Le'Veon Bell to a new deal, Pittsburgh will return a potent offense in 2018 that also includes wide receivers Antonio Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Martavis Bryant.

The Steelers have made four straight playoff appearances, and after going 13-3 this season, they will likely be considered among the top contenders in the AFC next season if few changes are made.